Philip Folgado
A few months before the start of the Paris Olympic Games, the question of the standard of living of athletes has returned to the center of attention. At Jacques Vendroux’s microphone this Saturday, Amélie Oudéa-Castera calls on companies to “invest more in sport”, in addition to the “Ambition Bleue” project which financially supports athletes.
Invited this Saturday in THElegends studio by Jacques Vendroux, the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castera returned to the question of the financial situation, sometimes very precarious, in which French athletes find themselves. Because contrary to popular belief, being a top athlete is not a guarantee of wealth. “At the time of the Rio Games (in 2016), almost half of the French selection lived below the poverty line, it’s shocking, and it’s even unacceptable,” said the minister.
Companies must “invest more in sport”
Since then, the will of the Ministry of Sports has been clear: to best support all athletes, regardless of the discipline. A desire which resulted in the creation of the “Ambition Bleue” project and supported by the National Sports Agency (ANS). A plan which grants more resources to all those involved in sport and which wants to better support very high-level athletes: “we ensure that our athletes have, at a minimum, 40,000 euros when they belong to the cells performance. We will guarantee a sufficiently good standard of living for those who are not part of it and who participate in competitions.
“It is not possible in our country that athletes who give so much to wear the colors of France, who are also deserving, do not have living conditions that match their commitment” underlines the minister. This is why it regularly addresses companies so that they “invest more in sport and the careers of French athletes, we must open up perspectives for them with integration agreements, development for the employment or with prospects of retraining.
She also underlines the gain that can be represented by the presence of these women and men who can “infinitely bring to corporate collectives”, instilling “the culture of performance, surpassing oneself and a taste for effort”.